HIP question

benp

benp

Well-known member
Supporter
I am hoping @Brad Bortner can comment on this.

I was getting licenses and everything for my family today and I discovered that my kids are not eligible to have a HIP certification but are still allowed to hunt migratory birds. Why is that? Doesn't that skew the results and purpose of the HIP program if there are people out there hunting birds for years without submitting their results?
 
How old are they? I think HIP is only required for 16 and over. But I could be wrong.
I assume the statistical analysis takes into account the relatively small fraction of harvest by those under that age. Or that the harvest by them is not statistically significant.
 
Carl said:
How old are they? I think HIP is only required for 16 and over. But I could be wrong.
I assume the statistical analysis takes into account the relatively small fraction of harvest by those under that age. Or that the harvest by them is not statistically significant.
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Yes they are both under 16. Just seems odd especially with such a push to try and get youth involved with hunting and especially with dove hunting as it's fun and easy for kids. I just would think they would be included in it if they had their own license. I mean don't they require a duck stamp to hunt waterfowl?
 
Federal stamp isn't required until 16yo not sure about state stamp.
benp said:
Yes they are both under 16. Just seems odd especially with such a push to try and get youth involved with hunting and especially with dove hunting as it's fun and easy for kids. I just would think they would be included in it if they had their own license. I mean don't they require a duck stamp to hunt waterfowl?
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I did a quick search regarding since I was curious about folks over 65. Here's the response. Maybe Brad can elaborate on this too. Not sure how a State can exempt those over 65 from being required to get a HIP permit.

"Federal law generally requires all waterfowl hunters aged 16 and older to obtain a Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification. However, state-specific exemptions for seniors vary, and in many jurisdictions, hunters aged 65 or older are exempt from the HIP requirement.

Key state variations include:

  • Exempt: Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and West Virginia explicitly exempt hunters aged 65 or older (or those who turned 65 prior to 2012 in WV) from needing a HIP card.
  • Required: Wyoming requires HIP for anyone 14 and older with no senior exemption. Louisiana exempts those 17 and under but requires HIP for seniors. Nebraska exempts only residents under 16.
  • General Rule: While the federal program is mandatory, states have authority to set age-based exemptions. Hunters aged 65+ must check their specific state’s regulations, as some states require HIP regardless of age while others do not"
 
Ben

Something to keep in mind is the HIP survey is part of a two-phase sampling strategy the USF&WS is using. HIP helps identify candidates that become the cohorts for more detailed data collection. Think of HIP as a screening phase to yield a subset of hunters who are better candidates for collecting more accurate harvest data with limited resources. It's unfeasible to sample everyone so you down select. Since kids under 16 can't drive, hunt less, and are accompanied by adults, it makes statistical sense to omit them and just sample the adults since they are more representative of who is harvesting ducks.
 
Sorry, been putting up hay and liming my hayfield. Remember that HIP is a partnership between the state fish and wildlife agencies and the USFWS. Licensing falls under the purview of the state agencies. They set the requirements for licensing and registration. Duck Stamp regulations require that all hunters 16 and older purchase a Federal Duck Stamp but the age that young hunters have to register for HIP is set by state regulation. One small thing to add: HIP isn’t designed to capture every single hunter. It’s designed to produce a statistically valid sample of the hunters who account for the vast majority of harvest. Youth hunters and some senior categories contribute a very small share of total harvest, and states have the authority to exempt them. The federal requirement is simply that states run a HIP program that produces reliable harvest estimates, and the sampling design already accounts for those age‑based gaps. Carl, Paul and Eric thanks for answering.
 
Ya know Brad B is an old fart (sort of) himself being all retired and such. Wonder when he thinks he'll join us senior folks that don't contribute much to the harvest? ;-)
 
Paul Taylor said:
I did a quick search regarding since I was curious about folks over 65. Here's the response. Maybe Brad can elaborate on this too. Not sure how a State can exempt those over 65 from being required to get a HIP permit.

"Federal law generally requires all waterfowl hunters aged 16 and older to obtain a Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification. However, state-specific exemptions for seniors vary, and in many jurisdictions, hunters aged 65 or older are exempt from the HIP requirement.

Key state variations include:

  • Exempt: Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and West Virginia explicitly exempt hunters aged 65 or older (or those who turned 65 prior to 2012 in WV) from needing a HIP card.
  • Required: Wyoming requires HIP for anyone 14 and older with no senior exemption. Louisiana exempts those 17 and under but requires HIP for seniors. Nebraska exempts only residents under 16
  • General Rule: While the federal program is mandatory, states have authority to set age-based exemptions. Hunters aged 65+ must check their specific state’s regulations, as some states require HIP regardless of age while others do not"
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Interesting. I had to pull out my license and look. I'm 70 from Illinois and my license confirms I have a HIP listed. Courious to know how does a state exempt hunters from a federal mandate? Is it not a federal thing and do states have control over HIP requirements in their individual states?
 
Ed L. said:
Interesting. I had to pull out my license and look. I'm 70 from Illinois and my license confirms I have a HIP listed. Courious to know how does a state exempt hunters from a federal mandate? Is it not a federal thing and do states have control over HIP requirements in their individual states?
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Ed, Scroll up a few replies, Brad Bortner addresed your question.

​

 
I understand that HIP is about numbers, and that is all well and good. Older hunters many not kill as many birds as they did when they had "Blood In Their Eye" in younger years. What many do is still go hunting with new or seasoned hunters and share skills & experience. They help to pass down passion for the sport from one generation to another. As in what would the Boy be without the Old Man? We can't crunch that in numbers yet we sure as hell need it now more than ever. I would rather have hunters I'm with shoot birds over my decoys than shoot the birds myself. I've done more than my share of that but not done Yet...

my 2 cents
 
I turned 60 last month. Don't feel "old" and do my best to not let the old man in! I even got drawn for another USFWS waterfowl wing survey again so they haven't counted me out yet!

I will say, the older I get the more ready I am for cooler weather and more time in the pirogue paddling the marsh!
 
I doubt that any state would prohibit a 65 year or older hunter from registering for HIP, I think they just don't require registration. I would have to check every state's regulations to verify. Maybe I'll ask AI to do that search.
 
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